Mavericks' Nowitzki to make first start of season

Summary of 8 articles · Updated Jan 7, 2013

Dirk Nowitzki made his first start of the season for the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says it sure feels better to have Nowitzki back on the floor. Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said Saturday that forward Dirk… (more) Nowitzki will make his first start of the season against the New Orleans Hornets, reports ESPN.com. Nowitzki missed the first 27 games this season recovering from arthroscopic right knee surgery. He missed a free throw with 18 seconds left in regulation that would have put the Mavericks ahead by a point. The plan was to acquire a legitimate superstar in his prime or possibly even two to lighten the 34-year-old Nowitzki's load in the latter stage of his surefire Hall of Fame career. But Chris Paul and Dwight Howard did not hit the free-agency market last summer as anticipated when Dallas decided to create significant salary-cap space for the first time in Cuban's 13-year ownership tenure they both can be free agents this summer and the Mavs' recruiting efforts failed to land Deron Williams.

Dirk questions Mavs: Can't build around hope

With the Dallas Mavericks' 12-season playoff streak in serious jeopardy, star forward Dirk Nowitzki expressed strong doubt about the front office's plan for the franchise's future, even wondering whether it'd be in the Mavs' best interests to trade him.

Hornets use OT to down Mavs in Dirk's 1st start

Eric Gordon completed a three-point play with 4.7 seconds left in overtime and the New Orleans Hornets won 99-96 Saturday night at Dallas to spoil the Mavericks' first game this season with Dirk Nowitzki in the starting lineup.